Orders
by Bichonmom
Summary: Bud should have gone with Harm.


****

Orders

Rating: K to K+

Summary: Bud should have agreed to go to London with Harm.

A/N: This was prompted by someone's comment on one of the lists that Bud and Harriet really should have agreed to go to London because how often do you get to choose your billet. Therefore, I thought what would happen if they got orders somewhere. I tried to come up with somewhere where Harriet would be a fish out of water. I think I managed to pull that off.

October 25, 2008

Fallon NV.

Harriet pulled onto Interstate 80 and headed towards Reno. She really hated this drive, but what could she do? Bud had been transferred to the NLSO office at NAS Fallon eighteen months ago. At least 9 months ago, Harriet began to regret talking Bud out of taking the billet in London. London would have been such an improvement over being out in the middle of the damn desert.

If they'd gone to London, she wouldn't have to face a 60-mile drive just to find a pair of shoes. Nikki had short, wide feet, the only place she could find shoes that fit was Stride-Rite, and the only place to find Stride Rite was Reno. Shopping was somewhat limited in Fallon. Thank God for the internet or she'd spend all her time in the car. Not that she had anything else to do with her time. There wasn't much in the way of social activity in Fallon. She was so bored she actually thought about taking her commission of out of reserve, but she either was over or under qualified for every single available billet on the base.

As Harriet drove, she couldn't help but think about what she'd have if Bud had taken the billet in London. First, she'd have friends. Harm and Mac were there, along with their kids. She'd never even met their youngest.

Since their marriage and the move to London, Harm and Mac had adopted 2 children, 3 when you included Mattie. In addition, they'd managed to get their miracle in between.

The oldest at almost 5 was Lilly who'd been adopted from China when she was still a toddler.

The next oldest was 3 year old Abby was Mac's miracle child. Mac managed to get pregnant the old-fashioned way, and then spent months on bed rest to keep from delivering to early.

The youngest and only boy, Peter, was also adopted. Peter's birth mother was the teenage daughter of one of Harm's old academy buddies. Jack Keeter had run into the grandfather to be who mention the situation and the girl's desire for an open adoption. Jack, who was Lilly's godfather, mentioned it to Harm and Mac and the rest is history.

So if they'd gone to London they'd have the Rabb's and their kids. Chloe Madison was also in the area as she was currently attending Oxford.

If they'd gone to London, she'd have shopping. Bud would argue that she had that now but in Harriet's mind, Wal-mart and a Penny's catalog store didn't qualify as good shopping.

In London, summer wouldn't mean weeks on end of 100 degree plus temperatures. While Harriet had to admit the lack of humidity was refreshing, who knew the heat index could actually be lower than the temperature, she missed summer rains and 80-degree days. Sure Nevada had 80-degree days but it just wasn't the same when they happened in March.

If they'd gone to London, the kids would be well traveled. The Rabb kids had been to France, Germany, Italy, and Spain just to mention a few of their travel spots.

If Bud had gone to work for Harm maybe Harm would have found away to get him a promotion beyond Lieutenant Commander. Probably not but it might have happened.

The thing that definitely would have happened if they'd gone to London is they wouldn't be stuck in the middle of nowhere until Bud finished his twenty. Harriet had no illusions about their chances of getting out of Nevada. She knew it would require retirement, resignation, or divine intervention.

The one thing Harriet promised herself every night was if Bud ever got offered another chance to transfer, she wouldn't be near so afraid of change. In her life, she'd been forced to change and chosen to change. Choosing to change was definitely the less frightening of the two.

Fin

__

A/N: I live in Iowa. My daughter's paternal grandma is in Nevada. We visited her about 4 summers ago which, was my daughter's first time in Nevada since before her 3rd birthday. Anyway, the one thing that really blew her mind was the weather channel reporting the temp at 93 and the heat index at 91! After all the years in the Midwest where the temp can be 95 with a heat index of 105-110 the other really freaked her out.

Also, when I lived in Nevada I was usually wearing shorts by the end of March. Every year with the first winter storm, I find myself thinking, "what was I thinking when I moved back here?"


End file.
